By Steven Symes 
Change is in the air these days, including the Trump administration slashing federal fuel economy regulations. The change has delighted enthusiasts while angering those who believe solar and wind are all we need as a society.
Ford recalls new Maverick pickup trucks.
In a memo published on Friday, June 6, the US Department of Transportation explains that the Biden administration’s fuel economy standards “ignored statutory requirements in CAFE barring consideration of electric vehicles.”
In other words, federal fuel economy regulations were being weaponized to force you, the American consumer, to buy an EV in the coming years. The increased fuel economy standards have helped make new cars less affordable.
That memo cites federal laws it argues have been violated by these regulatory actions, saying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other federal agencies will help with legal compliance moving forward.
Not only are passenger vehicles affected by these changes, so are medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
We’re not entirely sure what to expect out of this move, but we hope it means the return of V8 powertrains to trucks and SUVs moving forward. While that’s starting to happen with the Ram 1500, there are still many big vehicles “making due” with a V6, inline-six, or four-banger at the moment. Those are time bombs waiting to explode.
Another hope is that the rolling back of these aggressive regulatory rule changes will in fact make new cars more affordable. While some people seem perfectly content to finance their vehicle for 84 or even 96 months, many Americans are smartly not onboard with such reckless financial decisions.
But we wonder if that will actually happen. After all, the promise was that price inflation in the market would go down once covid shutdown-related shortages went away. While they went down a little, they’re creeping back up and everyone’s pointing the finger on why.
We just want good, affordable vehicles again. Take out the electronic gadgets and all the luxurious features, plus all the complicated “fuel-saving” things, and let us have something basic that works and isn’t pricey.
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